Shanmugam Gave His Thoughts About Amos Yee & Wondered Where His Supporters Are Now


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In case you’ve been too distracted by the recent happenings, Amos Yee is now back on the headlines.

Image: Cook County Sheriff’s Office

On 13 Nov 2021, Yee’s case was heard in a Chicago court and is currently facing 18 charges.

These charges include grooming, indecently soliciting a child and possession of child pornography.

Currently, the US court has given him time to communicate with his loved ones regarding a “special offer” he was given.

But that’s neither here nor there.

What we’re going to talk about, instead, is something happening closer to home.

Shanmugam Gave His Thoughts About Amos Yee & Wondered Where His Supporters Are Now

Yee’s escape from the Singapore judicial system was a thing of legend.

It involved many supporters, including high-profile activists like Roy Ngern, Donald Low, and even those from the American media.

Yee was even touted by the New Yorker as someone whom you might want to “run your country“.

After a long, high-profile fight, Yee managed to escape to the US where he was granted asylum, possibly forever lost to the Singapore system.

A heavy slap to the face of the Singapore Government, and its sovereignty, one might say.

Well, with the latest developments, Law Minister and Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam asked, Where are these supporters now?

Hypocrisy Has Many Shades

In a strongly-worded Facebook post uploaded on 14 Nov 2021, the minister questioned why supporters of Amos Yee are now “keeping quiet”.

Referencing a LinkedIn post written by Adrian Tan, the minister pointed out that when Yee made “seriously degradatory remarks about Christians and Muslims”, the US granted Yee asylum from “repressive Singapore”.

Yee’s actions, he clarified, would’ve resulted in charges usually.


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Yee also managed to escape from his NS liability, he added.

And Yet, What Happened Now?

When Yee was banned in the US from using social media, his supporters kept quiet.

When Yee was arrested for “solicitation and possession of child pornography”, his supporters, again, kept quiet.

The minister also pointed out Human Rights Watch and the New Yorker in his Facebook post, asking them for their opinions.

Back then, Human Rights Watch had said that Singapore went to “extraordinary lengths” to restrict Yee’s freedom to express his opinions.


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As to whether they would respond to his public call-out, only time will tell.

So far, a quick check on both The New Yorker and Human Rights Watch Facebook pages didn’t reveal any responses.

The minister’s actions have effectively driven one message to the entire world: You can have the freedom to express your opinions but there will always be consequences.

Vindictive? Yes, but you can’t say it’s not satisfying.

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Feature Image: Facebook (K Shanmugam SC) / Cook County’s Sheriff Office